On the surface, paying the Associated Press seems to conflict with the stance Google has traditionally taken regarding its Google News service. Because Google News is an aggregator, the company has argued, Google is not obliged to reimburse news outlets for linking to their content. But Wednesday’s announcement said the AP content will be the foundation for a new product that will merely complement Google News. Thus Google maintains that the deal supports its original stance on fair use.

“Google has always believed that content providers and publishers should be fairly compensated for their work so they can continue producing high-quality information,” Google representative Sonya Boralv said in a statement. “We are always working on new ways to help users find the information they are looking for, and our business agreement with the Associated Press is one example of that.”